TWO brothers from Barrow are training in jungle warfare deep in the rainforests of Central America in one of the British Army's most demanding missions.

Kingsmen Perry and Jordan Mason, infantrymen with the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, are working alongside the Belize Defence Force in 'Exercise Mayan Warrior'.

The former St Bernard's High School pupils are in Belize for five weeks with around 100 others from the battalion's Blenheim Company, learning how to survive and fight in energy-sapping humidity and temperatures of 30°C.

Jordan, 21, joined the Battalion in April. He said: "I've only ever been abroad on holiday before, so I was really happy when they told me I was coming to Belize.

"I've been surprised by how humid and sweaty it is, the snakes are a bit worrying, but I’m really enjoying the training."

Heat and humidity

Perry, 23, has been in the army for two years and last year trained in Kenya.

He said: "It's a steady job but one that I get to see the world with and now my brother's here with me – I didn’t expect that to happen when I joined.

"We get a lot of jokes from the lads in the battalion, and mum's not best pleased that we're both away together, but she's proud of us too.

"I’m a radio operator and so I'm always getting its antenna caught in the vegetation, it’s a bit of a nightmare. But the heat and humidity have been the really hard aspect."

Some of the toughest training has been in Sibun Gorge. The location's holiday brochure natural beauty hides a deadly arsenal of snakes including the giant boa constrictor and the venomous Fer de Lance.

The brothers have been living in the wild, sleeping in tree-slung hammocks and drinking river water they purify themselves.

Tough training

Jungle warfare instructors having been showing the company how to navigate, move through the jungle undetected and strike enemy positions.

Major Nick Higgins, officer commanding Blenheim Company, said: "This whole exercise is designed to be progressive so we've been giving the soldiers time to get used to the environment.

"They're coping really well. We have some good platoon commanders and section commanders, and that’s important; they make sure the lads look after their feet and drink enough water.

"I can see from the morale of the platoons and how they’re integrating with the instructors and the Belize Defence Force that, although finding it hard, they are enjoying the challenge."

Watch video of a previous tour